I have grown heuchera's in my sunny front garden for years .Last summer they started to struggle, thought it was vine weevil but they were simply stressed by high temperatures. Didn't want to water them artificially so moved them, the roots of one had been attacked by vine weevil in the past, four more only a few feet away were fine. I have seen this happen before. Replaced with cuttings of Parahebe perfoliata in a drift instead. Not the same leaf colour but still interesting.
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
Looks like I've got vine weevils in a group of plants that are clumped together - Photinia red robin, cornus alba and forsythia intermedia spectabilis are in the ground with 3 heuchera in pots close by.
Presumably the vine weevil aren't particularly fussy and attack whatever is there? I'm guessing they started in the heuchera pots (that was a temporary measure after they didn't like the conditions in their previous home) but have taken a shine to the other greenery they've encountered on emerging. How quickly and easily do they spread?
Very quickly. The adults are good at walking and climbing.
If it makes you feel less anxious about them, I have them in my front garden and I've only lost tiny heuchera. The bigger shrubs are being nibbled but, after two years, no casualties.
I think the bigger the plant the less damage they do to the roots. Smaller roots end up totally gobbled it seems.
The shrubs are unlikely to be adversely affected unless they're already stressed and in poor condition. They'll mainly get some foliage damage from the adults.
The heucheras are very attractive to the larvae/grubs unfortunately, although less so in the ground. You can wash the roots of heucheras to get them off, put the grubs out for the birds, and re pot the heucheras
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
There are two prolems: larvae on roots and adults on leaves.
1. adults on leaves - live with it.
2. larvae on roots a) abandon susceptible plants. I have given up on auriculas. b) more frequent exploratory repotting when you notice am issue, or even more frequently.
location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand. "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
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Didn't want to water them artificially so moved them, the roots of one had been attacked by vine weevil in the past, four more only a few feet away were fine. I have seen this happen before.
Replaced with cuttings of Parahebe perfoliata in a drift instead. Not the same leaf colour but still interesting.
Presumably the vine weevil aren't particularly fussy and attack whatever is there? I'm guessing they started in the heuchera pots (that was a temporary measure after they didn't like the conditions in their previous home) but have taken a shine to the other greenery they've encountered on emerging. How quickly and easily do they spread?
The heucheras are very attractive to the larvae/grubs unfortunately, although less so in the ground. You can wash the roots of heucheras to get them off, put the grubs out for the birds, and re pot the heucheras
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
1. adults on leaves - live with it.
2. larvae on roots
a) abandon susceptible plants. I have given up on auriculas.
b) more frequent exploratory repotting when you notice am issue, or even more frequently.
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."